Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 14 December 2023
Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community
Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed)
Ms Aoife Foley:
The biggest fix in the context of the conversation about institutional racism is probably to make banks a friendlier place. The majority of people we deal with do not want to talk to the banks because they have had a bad experience, their family and friends have had bad experiences and we have had bad experiences speaking to banks with clients, so it is difficult. That is not across the board, but a big trust-building exercise has to happen for people to feel comfortable and supported. There are also literacy and numeracy issues across the board. That is not unique to the Travelling community, but the numbers are higher in the community. There have to be supports in place to help people. Someone at a kiosk that is open from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. every second Wednesday-----